HEADLINES FROM THE HEBREW PRESS

2004-03-10
HA’ARETZ 1. POLICE ASSESSMENT: MORE FOREIGN HIT MEN IN ISRAEL.
2. SHARON AND ABU ALA TO MEET NEXT WEEK TO DISCUSS DISENGAGEMENT PLAN.
3. LIKUD MKS “CONCEALED” CRITICISM OF SHARON.
4. “ISLAND OF COEXISTENCE” IN ARAVA.
Yesterday: Cornerstone laid for Israel-Jordanian science center under American patronage.
HATZOFEH
1. FOUR HIT MEN FROM BELARUS BROUGHT TO ISRAEL TO SETTLE ACCOUNTS BETWEEN CRIMINAL FAMILIES.
2. What exactly did Chief-of-Staff say about disengagement plan?
“WE WILL HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THE PALESTINIANS WILL UNDERSTAND IT AS A REWARD FOR TERROR.”
Hatzofeh journalist taped Chief-of-Staff’s comments in which he repeatedly cautioned that he is not coming out against Government decisions: “I do not connect my words to any process, we will have to invest more than one military division in order to counteract the damage that will be caused by withdrawal under fire.”
3. SHARON TO MEET EGYPTIAN INTELLIGENCE HEAD ON DISENGAGEMENT PLAN.
MA’ARIV
1. ASSASSINATION TARGET: [LIKUD MK] GAVRIELI’S FATHER.
2. Jordanian King Abdallah in interview with Ma’ariv.
“I SUPPORT DISENGAGEMENT.” “Plan to withdraw from Gaza – step in the right direction.” Hamas: We may cease terror attacks.
YEDIOT AHRONOT
1. THE HIT MEN.


SUMMARY OF EDITORIALS FROM THE HEBREW PRESS
Both papers discuss various aspects of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s dissatisfwith IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon over the latter’s reported criticism of former’s disengagement plan:
Hatzofeh characterizes Chief-of-Staff Yaalon’s criticisms of Prime Minister Sharon’s disengagement plan as, “professional,” and asserts that, “The Chief-of-Staff, like ISA Director Avi Dichter and several other senior military commanders, militarily rules out the idea of disengagement,” since, “Before everything, it encourages and rewards terror.” The editors declare that, “The only alternative to a shameful failure in his war against terror is to say ‘I was wrong’ and go home, and not foist a disaster on the Jews living in the Gaza Strip.”
Yediot Ahronot, in its third editorial, notes that, “For 50 years, Arik Sharon has provoked every prime minister and every government, has attacked the political leadership and has crossed and re-crossed every line between the military and the political leaderships – and [now] he complains? Him?”
Yediot Ahronot, in its second editorial, asserts that, “The first people whom the Israel Police should investigate in connection with the affairs regarding payments at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital are those in government who determined that hospitals must meet ‘economic goals’.”
Yediot Ahronot decries what it perceives to be rampant corruption in Israeli public life, especially alleged links between public figures and organized crime.
Yediot Ahronot, in its fourth editorial, refers to the publicity surrounding the break-up of a prominent local couple.
BPI